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A Tale of Pigtails

by Sylvia

 

 

The problem is that Junno doesn't have pigtails. Koki really can't be blamed, considering that fact.

Oh, shut up.  


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Taguchi's the one who's happy about KAT-TUN from the start – even when everyone else is still disappointed about missing out on a solo career, or pissed off because what the fuck did they do to Johnny to get stuck with these assholes. Koki isn't sure that the boyband gig is really his thing at all. But even then, with all of the others moping and griping, Taguchi's enthusiastic about everything and everyone. He bounces around and cracks jokes and radiates energy and cheerfulness the same way a boyband member in an anime would trail fucking sparkles.

Koki doesn't really have an opinion on this in the beginning, except to wonder what the hell kind of drugs the guy is on, and where Koki can get some.

Then they all get to know each other a little better and settle into a routine of sorts and get the snags straightened out, and eventually Taguchi calms down some, at least when the cameras are off. He goes to karaoke bars with Kamenashi, has lunch with Ueda, kicks a soccer ball around with Akanishi on breaks in between practice sessions, and goes shopping with Nakamaru.

He doesn't do anything with Koki, though. He's not rude or anything, no, nothing like that. But he gives him the cold shoulder – ignores him, doesn't speak to him unless Koki speaks to him first, never suggests they do anything together the way he does with the others.

It takes a while for it to dawn on Koki, but when it does...

Just, fuck him. Is there something wrong with Koki? Does Taguchi think Koki's not good enough to hang out with or what?

It's fucking annoying, that's what is is. The whole guy is fucking annoying.

"Hey, Taguchi, you dumb fuck!"

Taguchi turns around and smiles and waves like an idiot, or a high-school girl or something. His hair is in his eyes and he's a little flushed from the cold outside and his scarf is all tangled up with his jacket, and the sight of him sends a little jab through Koki in the way that Koki's beginning to get used to. It's sheer annoyance, obviously, because everything about Taguchi is intensely irritating.

"Wow, you look especially horrible today. What did you do, pick your clothes out of a goodwill bin on the way here?"

Everyone laughs at this, and Taguchi's laugh is the loudest. Koki feels mollified – at least Taguchi realizes how lame he is – and for a moment, all is right with the world. Then Taguchi turns away, and Ueda says something to him that makes him hum with interest, and they start talking about some stupid choreography thing or whatever.
 
Fucking annoying asshole.


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Taguchi falls asleep on Koki in the bus on the way to the next leg of their concert tour. He just kind of sags slowly to the side until he tips over – or so Koki guesses, because he's busy listening to music on his ipod and doesn't even realize what's happening until his lap is full of sleeping dweeb.

You'd think that someone who's sleeping can't be annoying, at least unless they snore, but you'd be wrong. Taguchi manages just fine. Maybe it's the way he breathes, or the way he's sprawled out a little with his mouth just slightly open, all relaxed and kittenish like he isn't a huge pain in Koki's ass. Or maybe it's how he turns slightly in his sleep and snuggles down against Koki's leg like he's some kind of pillow.

Koki stares down at him for a moment and weighs the advantages of drawing a mustache and eyepatch on Taguchi's face against those of shouting lazy ass! at the top of his lungs, directly into Taguchi's ear.

In the end he doesn't bother to do either. He's tired, too. Besides, he's in an unusually good mood. So really, whatever.


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"So, uhm, Koki," says Yuicchi.

"Yo," says Koki, and gives his new peace-sign greeting. He's wearing his black skull-pattern bandanna and the combo is wicked cool.

Yuicchi seems preoccupied and doesn't comment on the coolness. "What's up with this Taguchi thing?"

"Fuck, I've been wondering that too! It's getting worse, isn't it? He gets more and more irritating every day. I mean, it shouldn't even be possible at this point –"

Yuicchi's mouth contracts like he's bitten into a lemon, which he thinks is more subtle than rolling his eyes, although it really isn't. "I was actually referring to the way you're constantly slapping his ass these days."  

And he's off. Koki hmms and nods thoughtfully. The rhythm of Yuicchi's monologue is kind of interesting – maybe Koki will play with it later on and see if he can use it for the rap section in their new single.

When Yuicchi winds down, Koki flashes him a grin. "Someone has to put him in his place or he'd be completely unbearable. Besides, I only do it on camera." Really, Yuicchi's a great guy, but he can be weird sometimes.

Yuicchi holds another monologue. This one's rhythm is half a beat faster, which fits the new single even better.


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It's just another photoshoot, nothing unusual unless you count that the set is made up to look like a barn, all bales of hay and straw-covered floor. There's also a couple of horses with long-suffering expressions. Koki gets to hold the brown one's bridle and pet it a little, and it warms up to him and snuffles at his chest and manages to be surprisingly cute, for such a huge animal.

Junno leans against the side of the black one, and the lighting is adjusted just so, and he cocks one hip and lifts his chin and puts his shoulders back and his t-shirt rides up to reveal a glimpse of toned abs and hipbones and fuck he is incredibly annoying when he's trying to look sexy.

Next up are the group shots, and then they're paired up. Koki takes the opportunity to push Junno into a pile of straw, and holds him down when he tries to get up, and makes sure the straw goes down his collar and gets into his hair. Koki has to get his own back somehow, what with Junno being so fucking irritating and all.

"Stay like that! Perfect!"

He looks up directly into the photographer's flash when it goes off.  


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"By the way, Tanaka-san and Taguchi-san are our favorite new promotional pairing," their assistant manager announces brightly when everyone's tried on their new costumes for the last time and is packing up to leave. "You make it look real, guys. Well done! Take off your shirts and stand over there, please. We need a background shot for the concert."

Koki blinks. Junno just takes off his shirt and stands in front of the wall, and what the hell, Koki goes to join him because there's no way he's going to be shown up by someone so fucking aggravating.

It's annoying how tall Junno is, and how lean and muscular, and how long his neck is when he puts his head back like that, and how warm his skin is against Koki's when Koki leans close. In fact it's all so fucking annoying that Koki can't concentrate on posing for the pictures at all. His stomach's all knotted with tension and just, fuck.  

The assistant manager snaps the pictures and then excuses herself. The others follow her out while Koki's still trying to find his fucking shirt. He can't remember where he put it, and fuck it, this day is just completely fucked –

That's when Junno takes him by the shoulders, pushes him up against a clothes rack, and kisses him.

Koki doesn't squeak, because he never squeaks. He's not the squeaking type. No, he's the cool, experienced and worldly-wise type who knows exactly what to do when someone succumbs to his charms and kisses him: kiss them back.

So he kisses Junno back. And, well. There's not a single disagreeable thing about that kiss. Or the one after that. Or about the way Junno moans into Koki's ear and pushes into his touch when Koki's hand finds its way into his pants.


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"But – I thought you noticed. You must have noticed. Didn't you notice? I thought you did. I mean, I've always had kind of, uhm," Junno babbles just a little while later, eyes wide, a definite hint of pink shading his cheekbones.

And – yeah – there's that familiar little stab in Koki's guts again, except that it's really not so little anymore, and it is familiar, but now that he thinks about it, it really isn't much like annoyance at all.

"You've always had kind of what?"

Junno squirms a little and looks away, but then looks back and squares his shoulders, chin going up in determination. "A crush on you," he says, and his smile is sudden and beautiful.   

"I, you, what?" says Koki, and then stops.

He's not blushing. He is not. He is coolness itself. It's just hot in here, is all.  

"Well, I thought you must have noticed. I mean, I couldn't even talk to you or anything."

"Oh," Koki gets out. "That's what – yeah, I noticed that. Of course I did."

So Junno does the "struck mute" type of crushing, does he. Koki's always been more the type to pull pigtails, himself.

And really, Koki can't be blamed for taking a little while to catch up with himself in this instance. How could he have known? Junno doesn't have pigtails, after all.


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That Junno turns out to be a top – well. That's a story for another day.

The End.

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